Stone Pillar, Musgrave Park, Stockman'S Lane, Belfast

An 1860s sandstone gate pier which originally formed part of the entrance to Fortwilliam Park, north Belfast (HB26/46/002); moved here in 1920s. Situated at a path junction in Grovelands, an area of landscaped gardens at the NE corner of Musgrave Park and surrounded by flower beds, shrubs and trees. A heavily decorated ashlar sandstone gate pier of rectangular cross-section. As now positioned, its principal elevations face NE and SW and are identical. The narrower SE and NW faces, also identical, originally supported the top of the gates which were hung from both sides when the pier was in its original context. The pier comprises two stages. The lower one is of sandstone blocks embellished with shallow banded string courses over a moulded base course. The top of this stage is delineated by advanced sandstone blocks, the bottom edges of which are dentillated, and the principal faces of which are embellished with four-leaf clovers set within entwined circular banding. The NE face is now heavily eroded. At bottom centre on each of the principal faces is an advanced decorative shield on a low base. Slender square posts rise up the sides to terminate in wrought-iron gate hinges pinned into the stonework. The hinge’s pins have corroded and exfoliated, causing the stonework to split. The upper stage comprises four squat square columns with moulded bases and decorative capitals between a small exedra on each of the principal faces. The columns support a plain frieze above which is a moulded dentillated cornice under an oversailing cap. The cap is of shallow pyramidal profile with small crockets around its edges. It is surmounted by a small plinth on which sit four garlanded cherubs. Each face of the plinth carries the monogram ‘WV’ (i.e. William Valentine). The cherubs originally surrounded the base of a three-orb gas light which rose from the top of the pier; this light was removed.